Michael Mercier / The Huntsville TimesClayton Bass, president and CEO of the Huntsville Museum of Art, speaks to the 200 people on hand at today's groundbreaking. HUNTSVILLE, AL -- After four years of fund raising, bids, re-bids and re-designs, there was no way rain was going to ruin the Huntsville Museum of Art's ground breaking ceremony this morning. .

"A little rain is not going to dampen our spirits," Clayton Bass, the museum's president and CEO, said at the beginning of the ceremony.

But because of the rain, the ceremony was held inside.

At 10 a.m, more than 200 people, including city leaders and
museum officials, were on hand in the museum's Great Hall to officially
kick off the museum's expansion with a ceremonial groundbreaking.

The expansion, once complete, will include 18,000 square feet of new space, plus a special-events room with seating for 300. Work crews have already begun removing trees and preparing the land for construction in Big Spring International Park. .

Today's groundbreaking marked a milestone for the museum expansion, which has been delayed for more than a year because of high construction costs and redesigns.

Following Bass' opening comments, Mayor Tommy Battle praised the expansion, saying it adds to Huntsville "quality of life" and Big Spring International Park.

"The expansion is going to be a an addition to Big Spring Park," Battle said. "This is a great day for the City of Huntsville."